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November 30 - Locals will want to check Hal's story on Bud "Lite" Childers. 
     We tried to warn you folks about Childers.  First, the Republicans rejected a highly qualified woman for the job in their primary - Republicans have a rule that one female judge out of 15 is just about one too many - and went for Bud, even though he had never set foot in a courtroom and was one of the biggest wasteful spenders this county government has ever seen.
     Then they went to the polls and supported Bud over a highly qualified Democrat because .... well, Democrats are evil. 
     So now we're stuck with a judge who doesn't know shoot from shineola, and has no intention of learning diddle squat. 
     Thanks to Hal for summing-up a sordid story.

---

November 29 - In case you ever get to wondering how much of your money the Rightwing Steeple People are willing to spend to defend their views, just check this out.

In the case of the inappropriate and unconstitutional display of an open Bible outside the former Civil Courthouse on Fannin, Harris County Commissioners Court violated one of life's most basic rules: When you find yourself in a hole you don't want to be in, stop digging.

By foolishly and futilely appealing the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the commissioners tried to dig to China. As a result, the taxpayers are in the hole for what might be hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

     They won't spend a dime of tax money helping those who can't help themselves, but they'll spend us all into the poorhouse for idolatry.
     Didn't these people listen to a word Sweet Jesus said?  Even one word? 

---

November 29 - UPDATE AT BOTTOM.  Of local interest only:  Remember when Liz Mitton called me a liar over at Fort Bend Now for saying she was behind the cd22watcher site?
     Okay, here's the deal: Liz Mitton lies so much that she could be the county judge and nobody would notice the difference. 
     I have even more proof. 
     Go on over to the "anonymous" Republican Hrbacekfest Blog if you don't believe me.  Hold your mouse over the button on the top of the page that says "Subscribe."  Now look at the status bar at the bottom of your window.  "LMITTON" bigger than Dallas. 
     Okay, so you don't have time to go to the spa for a flea dip, plus there's a chance they'll fix it once I show it to you, here's a screen shot of it.  And here's a screenshot of the URL line once you click the Subscribe button. See LMITTON again, huh? 
     Okay, I realize that Liz isn't writing this Hrbacekalooza blog all by herself.  She has some helpers.  Young fellas.  Who are using her like a 50 cent pavement princess with a coin changer on her belt. 
     Keep it up, Liz.  Hrbacekorama is the most fun we've had with anonymous people since the last Republican Congressman went to the bathroom. 

     And just for fun, a customer sent me this little anonymous Shelley Blog this morning.  Republican politics in CD22 - The Fighting Anonymouses!  Or is it Anonymi?

UPDATE:   Liz got her tinsel in a tangle and sent out a ranting email to her supposed friends -- I got five copies forwarded to me within an hour -- claiming that I'm pure evil because I'm a Democrat.  And that my baby boy is second generation evil because he's a spawn of a Democrat. 
     She didn't attempt to answer the new connection we found to her and the Hrbacekcita last night, but she attempted to play a little trickiepoo proving anyone could have used her name to set up a Save Our Schools website.  Oh horrors, Liz was the victim of a set-up and now she wants an apology. 
     Uh, Liz, Babe, it's the URL we were talking about.  The URL on your "test" site is different than the URL on your Save Our Schools blog that you took down once you were caught. 
     How red do your hands have to be before you snap out of it?  Ring, ring. Liz, it's for you, Lady Macbeth calling.

---

November 29 - Oh well, at least defeated Sugar Land Mayor Dean Hrbacek can't say he's not begging for it.  Maybe Dean will buy you a pony, too.
     For those of you who were wondering if there was more to come, there's much, much more.  I don't care who you are, this is funny.
     (And ho boy, this is going to hack-off Charles.)

     And, if you have an extra free minute to spare after reading that, I'm appearing live and in person right here right now.

---

November 28 - Uh oh, I have an unsatisfied customer.  I know some people will think I made this up.  I didn't.  I copied it exactly.

---

November 28 - Well, I sure got back to my computer  just in time. 
     After their County Chairman resigned in a sudden and yet unexplained fit of pique and drama, the GOP had their "special" meeting last night with only 59 out of 88 precinct chairs even bothering to show up to vote.  You'd think more of them would show up considering it's the most important vote they've had in about --- oh, I dunno ---- since the Jaybird Woodpecker War.
     So, they decided on Rick Miller for their new chair.  I know you'll be all a-tremble to hear that he's a rich fluffy old white guy.  He beat Linda Howell, a former fashion reporter for a couple of local newspapers. 
     All other newly elected local party offices are held by more fluffy rich white boys, except for one - Pat Hebert won election as secretary.  She's the county judge's wife and I have no idea idea how much she's going to charge the GOP for taking notes. She charged her own husband $6,200 for a few hours work on his campaign finance reports, which she made a mess of them anyway.
     Okay, Madam Swami Susan has a prediction to make:  this ain't the end of the in-fighting.  The Super-DeLux Brand Christians in the bunch are dead-set on revenge, the moderates are waving a white flag, and the candidates are seeking cover.  No prisoners will be taken - and you're going to get a front row seat to watch how Republican Christians act. 
     Stay tuned, Honey.  This promises to be a mess of fun.

---

November 28 - And in tribute to Trent Lott who quit while I way away from the keyboard ---

---

November 27 - Okay, Bubba paid the ransom and I'm back.  I'll start posting regular tomorrow when I get around to it. 
     I am perfectly aware that I messed up the formatting on this page, but I'm not going to finagle with trying to fix it because the month's almost over. 

---

November 24 - Oh yes, we get mail.  Uh huh, we do.

And, I got copied on this email from Dennis, which just shows how the tide is turning around here.  It was addressed to the election head around here.  I edited part of it to protect the innocent  ---

Now that the rush from the last election is passed, I wanted to give you an early heads up for the Primaries.

After what the local Republican party did to some of my friends lately, I no longer want to work elections for them.  During the next primary on March 4th, I will clerk for and help train whoever the GOP selects to run the thing, but after that one (and a run-off, if necessary) I wish to work only for Democratic party primaries.  I will, of course, remain available to work any General elections in any capacity you wish.

I realize, of course, that I would actually be working for FBC in either parties primary, and my boycott of the GOP is more symbolical than anything else, but I no longer care to lend them even that small smigeon of support.  I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. You may want to contact the precinct chair for this precinct about a replacement.

Dennis

November 22 - For those of you who were worried about me, thanks.  I'm doing dandy!  I should be posting like a maniac in another week, maybe even sooner.
     Meanwhile, to keep you busy, please read this posting by Justice Wright about being a pro-life Democrat.  Register and post a shout-out to him!
     And for a run-down of the latest happening in our local GOP, Elizabeth has some charming insight.  And there's this little tidbit that I couldn't have said better myself ---

Just for starters, when you’re a candidate who hopes to manage the affairs of the party, your campaign treasurer really ought to know from whom you can and cannot accept money. Sure, there’s a learning curve, but get those ducks in a row before you begin doing bank business. I’m almost surprised she didn’t open two more accounts for Indian casino money and donations from Libyan gun-runners.

     And one Thanksgiving Toon!

November 17 - Okay, here’s the deal.  For years, through the magic of those internet tubes, I’ve gone on vacations, been in the hospital, and even left the country in a fit of pique when you people re-elected Commissioner Andy Meyers.   However, you’ve never known these things because there were posts on my site every day. 
     For the next two weeks, that façade may break because I’m going to have only intermittent access to the internet machine.  So don’t fret if I miss a couple of days posting.  This may be a blessing because it’ll give you time to check to see if your sister-in-law is putting that candy stash we all know you have in her suitcase before she flies back to Amarillo after messing up your guest room with about 4 tons of make-up and those peeeuuuuuu stinky houseshoes she’s worn for fifteen years because she’s too cheap to buy new ones because she sends all of her damn money to tv preachers instead of chipping in to buy Momma a nice Christmas gift. 
     You know how that is. 
     You don’t? 
     Oh, never mind.
     Hal promises to let you know if I stay longer than intended when he gets back. 

     Happy Thanksgiving!  Be thankful for courage and faith!  I insist on it.

     And here's a little pumpkin pie from Ann Telnaes about Denny Hastert's resignation ---

November 16 - I'm looking for information on Scott Broschart, Drew Lawson, and Michael Miller.  It seems they may have an unnatural interest in a local GOP Congressional candidate.  Just email me if you know something I need to know. 
     I already have their Facebook pages so don't send me those. 

---

November 16 - PBS&J (the company, not the yummy sandwich) has admitted to over-billing again. 

The county brought a lawsuit against Post Buckley Schuh & Jernigan (PBSJ), a longtime county engineering consultant, alleging that it over billed the county as the result of a $36 million embezzlement scheme.

     Welcome to Fort Bend, Boys! 

---

November 16 - We get email we need to answer:

Susan:

Did you see that Mr. Lampson is still carrying water for the President?

 

He voted against linking $50 billion in funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a withdrawal date.  

The spending bill, which requires Bush to begin bringing troops home from Iraq within 30 days and to complete that withdrawal by Dec. 15, 2008, passed 218-203.  

I'm not surprised that he still thinks that Tom Delay is lurking around every corner - but he must "man" up and get us out of Iraq or he to will be history too  -  right?.

 

What the hell is happening to our beloved "District 22" ?  is it just another door mat for the President and his crazy war?

 

Dan

Dear Dan,

     I hate to correct you, but Lampson's vote on HR4156 was the single most Liberal vote of any Democrat in the Texas delegation.
     We both owe Mr. Lampson an apology. 
     Nick Lampson was the only Texas Democrat courageous enough to vote NO!  Lampson was one of only 15 Democrats who voted with Dennis Kucinich .     
     Kucinich voted against the bill because he was opposed to funding this war “even one more day” and Boy Howdy! Nick Lampson fooled us all and voted with Kucinich this time.
     So I don't want to hear you call Nick Lampson a Bush / Cheney neo-con chickenhawk.  Nick Lampson is as liberal as Dennis Kucinich and, like Kucinich, Lampson must favor a stop to funding this war immediately or else he wouldn't have voted with him.
     Wait, what's that you say?  Lampson doesn't agree with Kucinich.  He just being a Bush kiss-up again?
     Never mind. 

Susan

P.S.  It's a cryin' shame that Lampson's political consultants have yet to realize that playing cute instead of courageous will get you burned 99% of the time.  Karma is a witch that way.
     If they don't think that the above picture, taken directly from the Washington Post, will end up on every Republican mailer this election season, then they are dumber than even I suspected. 
    

---

November 15 - We get email from very funny people ---

November 15 - Alfredo lets us know that PBS&J is caught again. 

Seminole County was overcharged by PBS&J under executed Agreements due to incorrect reporting of PBS&J's overhead rate from January 1, 2000 through July 1, 2006. During this period, the overcharges amounted to $223,744.17. In turn, PBS&J has recognized this overpayment and has applied compounded interest at the rate of 4% per year for a total interest repayment of $30,148.46 over the seven year period. The total reimbursement provided to the County by PBS&J is in the amount of $253,892.63.

     I guess they have to overcharge to make up for all those illegal campaign contributions they make. 
     Everybody grab their wallets because PBS&J is now in Fort Bend County.

November 15 - I just noticed something funny.  Tom DeLay sent me an email last week about a new group he's forming to whip him up some Democrats (and make a little money for himself on the side, of course).

Today, I am asking you to join me in a new endeavor. I have recently founded the Coalition for a Conservative Majority (CCM); a results driven grassroots action and advocacy organization - the first such conservative organization worthy of the name. Our mission is to IDENTIFY, RECRUIT, TRAIN, INSPIRE, ACTIVATE and MOBILIZE conservative activists, such as you, to take action on policy issues and political causes across the country.

As committed activists for my past re-election efforts, I wanted to personally ask you to JOIN CCM, as I know you and I hold dear the conservative principles of security, prosperity and family.

CCM's Houston-area chapter will be the first chapter to organize. CCM will hold an organizational meeting on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27th, at 7:00 PM at the Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce. Dinner and information will be provided but you must RSVP. I am personally asking that you join us at this meeting to learn more about what CCM will be doing in the Houston area.

     Uh oh, seems to me that I had something else planned for that night .... hummmmm... what could it be?
     Thank you, Tom DeLay and Tina Benkiser for making the Democrats look organized!
     Rats!  Choices, choices -- go the the Chamber and eat Tom's food or go to the Travis Building and watch Republicans eat each other.  Republicans are making my life so complicated!

November 15 - Granny Geek always has the coolest links and she's found a doozy this time.  It's called Wikileaks and it ..... oh, let Granny explain.

November 15 - Okay, I see that Liz Mitton has dropped the only oar she had in the water and now thinks she's male, sometimes married, occasionally educated and has three distinct personalities.   
     She's even altered her posts to reflect what I said yesterday.
     I don't know whether to keep making fun of her or call the local mental health professionals.  Rightwing Republicans make that choice difficult on all of us, don't they?

November 14 - Okay, it's official.  There's gonna be a meeting to select a new party chairman.  Click here to open it in a WORD document.
     Details are --- November 27 (Tuesday), 7:30 p.m., at the William B. Travis Courthouse Annex, 7th floor.
     I guess they're expecting me to come because the letter from the State GOP chairman says, "Please enter by the front door facing Jackson (90A). A bailiff should be at the front door to help direct you."
     A bailiff?  Oh well, at least it's not an armed assistant District Attorney.
     I hope the GOP is paying the bailiff because I don't think I should have to. 
     And they thought politics would quit being fun here with DeLay resigned. 

November 14 - UPDATE. Oh, I’m enjoying this waaaay too much. This is kind of a long story, but I think you'll like it.  It's about a rightwing Republican.
     There’s a new website in town called CD 22 Watcher.  It’s done by someone claiming to be a local Republican, so it’s anonymous.  Good men and women fought and died for our First Amendment rights (you can start humming the Star Spangled Banner in the background now), but that’s not good enough for some folks – they hide behind irresponsibility because they think people are apt to believe a big ole anonymous voice.  Like, it could be God’s Blog – you never know. 
     Go on over there and look around for a minute.  I’ll wait here until you get back.  No, really.  I promise.  I will.  Oh hell, you know I’ll have something big to say about this blog, so you know I’ll be here.
     I’m going to tease you a little first, though.
     The blogger thinks Nick Lampson is a liberal, which tells you how far in the Desert of Denial this blogger has wandered.  Honey, they are as lost as a nickel down as West Texas oilwell. 
     While claiming to be in the law as an occupation, this blogger uses words like “goober” and the infamously sophomoric “Algore.”  Honey, lawyers don’t use words like that.  Lawyers know insults in Latin that would curl your hair; they don't need no stinkin' goober.  And, I know very few “techno-geeks” who have Blogger websites.  I’m sure it happens, but the odds are about the same as diving into an empty swimming pool and stopping before you hit bottom.
     There is another interesting thing on this blog that caught my eye. It’s a thinly veiled site supporting Dean Hrbacek, so this creepy reference got my attention: 

The home page of former Pasadenda (sic) Mayor John Manlove's site is, well, a little scary. John, the dems are already having a field day with the seedy interpretation of your last name (jokes about ManBoylove abound).

     Manboylove?  I dare you to find even one Democrat who said that.  Even one.  Hey, Democrats made fun of “Manlove” coming directly on the heels of bathroom toe tapping and a few other Republicans being outted, but only rightwing Republicans would think of sick crap like Manboylove.  That’s just sick.  Have you ever noticed how rightwing Republicans are sick people when it comes to hoochy-koochy?  I guess they are all hung-up about sex because they suppose that all of us are as sick as they are. 
     Manboylove?  I wouldn’t have even thought about something like that!   So, just out of curiosity, I got to wondering who this anonymous blogger could be. 
     Hummmm … I had some suspicions, but ....
     Then, I get a gift like manna from Heaven this morning when a reader let me know that somedamnfool made a horrific mistake with their Blogger accounts on Google.
     Take a look at this.  This is a screenshot of a Google Blog Alert. If you sign up for Blog Alerts about certain topics, it lets you know when something about that topic comes up.  Say, for example, you asked Google to let you know whenever the term “Shelley Sekula Gibbs” comes up on a blog.

     Both of these alerts refer to the same story – on the CD 22 Watcher.  However, notice that the byline under the first one says “13 November 2007 by Save Our Schools.”  Save Our Schools is Liz Mitton Blogger site.  (UPDATE:  The Save Our Schools site and Liz's personal site went dark on November 14th.  I guess Liz didn't want to make the same mistake twice.  I also guess she's never heard of cache copies.)
     Oh, dear.
     You can even find the same reference if you run a blog search on State Rep. Robert Talton. 
     Liz was logged on to Blogger under her other account and the post was attributed to Save-Our Schools, Liz’s other blog.  The new byline to the correct blog pops up 2 hours and 41 minutes later.  She caught her mistake, but not soon enough.  Blogspot is owned by Google, so this is not a one in a hundred million mistake.  Liz Mitton has a new anonymous Blog called CD 22 Watcher and she has some real sicko stuff on there. 
     Liz Mitton: almost as much fun as Tom DeLay.
     Hey Hrbacek, you can really pick some supporters, Dude.
 

November 13 - Just in case Tom DeLay thinks he's home free on any congressional investigations, it's dead solid certain that the Jack Abramoff investigation ain't over yet.

A possible sign that the Jack Abramoff investigation continues to burrow into Capitol Hill, a congressman under scrutiny for his ties to the disgraced former Republican superlobbyist has paid tens of thousands of dollars to a legal firm specializing in forensic data recovery.

Since April, Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla., has paid over $90,000 to a Washington, D.C. office of FTI Consulting, through his re-election campaign and a separate legal defense fund he began in June, according to financial filings and a news account.

     And then there's the cherry on top.

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, also a guest on Abramoff's golf trips, is reportedly under investigation for his ties to Abramoff.

 

 

 

November 13 - Just in case you missed it, Keith Olbermann named Tom DeLay "The Worse Person in the World" last night,  DeLay's health care lie (I can't make the link work, so go to here and find it yourself!), just as we did last week.

     And some more Republicans are feeling the squeeze of Tom DeLay's good friend Jack Abramoff.

November 13 - I knew it was simply a matter of time.  Rick Perry is wearing gold lame boots.  No wonder he supports Giuliani.

Here's what happened at the second event of Gov. Rick Perry's first day of solo campaigning for GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.

"Are those boots special?" Kasondra St. Antoine, a University of Iowa freshman and Giuliani volunteer, asked as she gazed at the gubernatorial footwear.

"I can't explain the gold lamé," Perry said, referring to the fancy flourishes on his boots, "but I can explain the flag and the state" outline.

The boots helped folks know that the visitor touting Giuliani was a Texas governor. The odd slip of the tongue also helped; Perry once referred to Giuliani as "a person running for governor."

     And if that's not creepy enough, there's this description he gave of the Texas Lege  ---

"You get in, you do your work, and you get out of town, and you live with the laws you passed," he told a small group in Waterloo on Monday night.

     Waterloo, indeed.

November 13 - Well, it's another day that Democrat Nick Lampson can kiss my big blue butt.
     Last week, the Alternative Minimum Tax came to the House floor.  It was to protect the middle class from tax increases, and the difference is made up by ---

....taxing as regular income the profits of hedge-fund managers, requiring private-equity firms that go public to do so as corporations rather than partnerships and reducing multinational corporations' foreign tax credits.

     So, allowing a company to get tax breaks by incorporating offshore, thereby avoiding tax liabilities, is more important than giving tax breaks to the middle.  And Heaven knows we need to protect the profits of hedge fund managers from being taxed as fairly as the average working family.
     Lampson was the only Democrat in the entire Great State of Texas to vote against this.  The only one.  Kinda makes you wonder which one of his contributors he's protecting on the backs of the middle class.

Enacted in 1969 to affect only wealthy filers, the AMT has encroached into middle-class brackets because it is not indexed for inflation.

     You can read more about it here. 
     The bill passed anyway, which is great news for America because it also includes provisions that allow for itemized deductions of state and local sales taxes, and continue a tax break for tuition expenses.
     Look, I'll vote for Lampson because he's a durn sight better than anything the Republicans have running, but I don't have to be proud of it.
     We should have held out for Gordon Quan.

November 13 - Splitting my time again.  Did a little local color.
     Y'all go on and sign-up to comment at the Fort Bend Democrats site.  You don't have to live here to have an opinion.
     And don't miss Hal's bear in the woods.

November 11 - Happy Veteran's Day to my favorite veterans.

November 10 - Okay, it's official.  Tom DeLay has been laughed out of everywhere.

"By the way, there's no one denied health care in America. There are 47 million people who don't have health insurance, but no American is denied health care in America," he said to derisive laughter.

     Phew!  I was worried that he'd write another book entitled, "I have not been laughed out of Oxford."
     Considering his comment, I guess Tom didn't read his AARP Bulletin this month.

November 10 - Okay, so I’m not about to get in the middle of the Republican fight over at Fort Bend Now. When two groups of people are shooting at each other, it’s not smart to walk between them, even if you’re packing more heat than an NRA Festival on Saturday night in Pasadena.  Or Dick Cheney hunting; take your pick.
     I just like to stand on the sidelines and catch big ole hunks of hypocrisy as they fly off the people who are scared to use their own names.  Weenies. 
     Take, for example, Liz Mitton, who calls herself “In The Know” because her friend used to be on the school board, giving Liz a supposed direct pipeline to wisdom, knowledge, and wild-eyed claims.  However, her friend got beat badly – we called it whompered – in the last election.  So Liz, who used to be just clueless and mean, is now officially and certified clueless and mean. 
     Also, Liz ran for school board herself and came in fifth out of 4 candidates.  No, I just made that fifth place part up.  I mean, she ran for the school board and got 23% of the vote.  Somehow that makes her feel like she has a mandate and that she speaks for the majority of Republicans in this county.  She’s either delusional or very bad at math.  I ain’t making that up.
     The dirtiest word she knows is Democrat.   
     Recently, she posted “I’ve been in Fort Bend for over 15 years and active in the party for 10.”  Well see, she’s wearing her pedal pushers too tight and she’s not getting enough air to her brain.
     Here’s her voting record.  She registered in December of 1993, which makes the 15 years about right.  But she’s got a real odd definition of “active.”

     Honey, we need more active Republicans like her.  She’s only voted three times in the GOP primary.  Hell, I've voted in Republican primaries more than that!
     I think she must have most of her patriotism in her husband’s name because, bless his heart, he’s voted in four primaries and even voted in 2000. 
     As I've said before - Republican woman are the reason Republican men don't think women should have power.
     Okay, let’s see what Republican hypocrite I can pick on next ….. hummmm …. So many weenie people, so little time. 

UPDATE:  I see that Liz is denying that she's In The Know.  That's okay, if she wants to make Little Baby Jesus cry again, it's her eternal soul.
     Heck, I know she's In The Know and I ain't even in the know, if ya know what I mean. 

November 9 - Holy Moly, they're calling each other libertarians, lunatics, and liberals.  I haven't had this much fun watching anything since Aunt Bessie Mae took out after Uncle Hank with a pair of deer antlers with intent to mount his butt on the den wall backwards. 
     Honey, it's a Fringe Party in Fort Bend.  We could outfit the entire Tyler Junior College Apache Belles with all the fringe-calling going on around here.  Everybody is calling everybody else "fringe," like it's a bad thing or something.
     Give. Me. A. Break. This is Texas, where we have UIL contests on who can kick highest while wearing the most fringe.  And twirling a baton while doing it adds 10 points to your score.  (Personally, I think they should let "In the Know" (that's ole 23% Liz Mitton) have a baton to beat Bev Carter with because it'll be the only way she will ever beat Carter.)  I saw a little filly once wore shiny fringe down to her knees and tied Christmas lights around her waist to do a halftime dance to America the Beautiful.  It was very inspiring.
     Oh, they don't mean that kind of fringe?
     Never mind.

     Go on over to Bob's to check for new stories every so often.  It's just a matter of time before the Republican women use up all the sophomoric sarcasm in the free world.

November 9 - We got an email from Fenway Fran.

November 9 - M.B. gives us a heads-up that Republicans are dropping like flies.  But, this one takes the cake!

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Minority House Republicans, already reeling from a sex scandal that prompted one member to quit, have severely disciplined a Vancouver lawmaker for inappropriate remarks to a female staffer.

     No, no, wait.  Don't quit reading.  Seriously, read on.  It gets better.

Dunn also said he could not exactly recall what he said to the woman, but said he was "sure it was very inappropriate, because I do that kind of thing." He also acknowledged it could have been interpreted as sexual harassment.

     "I do that kind of thing"?  Duuuude, really, is it on your resume? 

November 8 - Our local Republicans made Harvey Kronberg - go here and click DAILY BUZZ.  How proud they must be!
     I've been checking the comments conversation over at Bob's, and they're still playing Gotcha! with each other.  I guess it beats toe tapping in airport bathrooms.

November 8 - Okay, this is more fun than recess in Heaven!  Watch our local GOP fold like a cheap suitcase.

In a surprise announcement before an audience of elected Republican officials on Thursday, Fort Bend County GOP Chairman Gary Gillen said he and a slate of top party officers have quit.

Citing untenable political differences with what he termed “a number of fringe elements in the party,” Gillen said he, party Treasurer Richard McCarter, Secretary Nancy Porter and Parliamentarian Dick Hudgins have resigned effective immediately.

     But wait, there's more ---- He did it at the damn country club!  Ain't that a hoot? 

He told an audience at a meeting of the West Fort Bend Republican Women, at Katy’s Falcon Point Country Club, that continuing friction with his political opponents has taken a toll on his family.

     I dunno, this look mighty strange coming on the heels of this.  Tom DeLay's old district is filled with money-lovin' Republicans, Honey. 

     Bob promises more to come on this story, so check back often and laugh your butt off!

     On a momentary serious note:  Gillen may represent the saner wing of the GOP, but what he did was high on drama and low on ethics.  In fact, it was totally irresponsible.  He left the Party without anyone to call a meeting, elect a new chair, or take candidate filings. GOP  candidates start filing on December 2nd and they don't have a Party organization to file with. 
     A grown-up man who cared about his own Party would have waited to resign at the Party meeting, allowing a new chairman to be selected.  What he did was childish and silly.  And he did it at the damn country club!

November 8 - Just in case you need reminding how crazzzzy Republicans are, there's this - Pat Robertson just endorsed Rudy Giuliani.
     I have to agree with John McCain ---

Asked about the endorsement at a news conference, Mr. McCain seemed to recall Mr. Robertson’s past criticism of his own conservative credentials as falling short on Christian conservative principles.

“Every once in a while, I am left speechless,” Mr. McCain said. “This is one of those times.”

November 7 - Vince at Capitol Annex did a nice write-up about Judge Susan Criss encouraging Judge Linda Yanez to run for the Chief Justice of the State Supremes instead of contesting the Place 8 position in the Democratic primary. 

State District Judge Susan Criss (D-Galveston), running for Place 8 on the Texas Supreme Court, is publicly encouraging appellate justice Linda Yanez–who is currently poised for a primary race against Criss–to pursue another seat on the state’s highest court, according to a press release from Legislative Media:

     Not only did Criss declare first, but she also called Yanez early-on, encouraging her to run for one the seats.  Big thanks Criss got when several months later Yanez picked the seat Criss had already announced she was running for.  Not too sisterly, huh?

     There very few things Texas Democratic women won't abide because we're very tolerant people, but one of them is somebody trash-talking one of our female candidates - even if the trasher is another female.
     Judge Yanez gave a speech last week.  It was a 15 minute ramble, with over 5 minutes of it being attacks on Susan Criss and her family. 
     For starters, Yanez made her intentions clear from the get-go.  Within two minutes of starting her speech, she says, "People say we have two really good candidates in this race.  No, we don't."  (Click here for audio file)  Now, see, that's just rude, and it sets the tone of the rest of her chat.
     Then she goes after the blogsphere (audio link here), announcing that anonymous "people can just say anything they want, whether it's true or not."  From her vague description of what blog had upset her, I suspect she was talking about something on Burnt Orange Report.  You can scamper on over there and read it.  I don't see anybody in any of the stories being anonymous.  Or untruthful. 
     Then she claims that bloggers are being paid.  Oh yeah, that's why they're all so rich. 
     I was pondering becoming a blog just so I could say that Yanez needs to clean up her act and quit bad-mouthing her opponent.  If you can't run on your own two feet, get some more comfortable shoes. 
     In a final hollow ring, Yanez commits the sin she just tsk-tsked about anonymous by quoting an anonymous "Dallas lawyer," as saying, "These races aren't about merit.  They're about politics."  (audio link here)  Oh, pullleeese.  Have yourself a big ole cup of reality, Honey.  Why the heck do you think we ended up with all Republicans on the Court?  Merit? 
     Linda Yanez needs to direct her vehemence toward Republicans.  Or maybe she needs to calm down, get a grip, and run because she's qualified, not just to hack-off folks.  This trash and burn tactic is is lower than a snake's belly.
     And, by the way, like the other story, that's not anonymous or untruthful.

November 7 - You will be charmed and delighted to know that the nasty, nasty, terrible horrible nasty dirty tricks stinkin' of Karl Rove's protégé Governor's race in Kentucky was won by the good guy.
     We figured the incumbent Republican was in deep trouble when he started using gay-scare.  Yep, gays will be taking over Kentucky just any day now. 

November 7 - Texas Senator John Cornyn has no shame.  First he gets Bush and Cheney down here on a secret fundraising mission for him.  He and Bush are tighter than skin on a sausage. Then this:
      The Justice Department launched a bribery investigation of defense contractor BAE in June.  Since then the company's PAC has given $10,000 in contributions to Cornyn’s campaign committee and leadership PAC.
     How dirty does money have to be before Cornyn turns it down?

 

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November 7 - This has to be my favorite story in months, maybe years.
     Republicans are now screwing each other in a free-market orgy, and we're lucky enough to get a front row seat.
     Far rightwing authors of such literary works of art as "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry," and “Shadow War: The Untold Story of How Bush Is Winning the War on Terror” are being ripped off by their publisher - Regnery Publishing, a conservative propaganda company.
     I dunno know about you, but ripping off these dudes for writing a pack of lies seems unjustly hysterical.  I mean, what's the deal? They grew tired of taking money from the poor, the elderly, and little children so they decided to go after rich old white guys? 
     Hey, that sounds like a good plan to me!
     You will laugh your patootie off while reading this story.
     (Thanks to Deb for the heads-up!)

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November 6 - Rats!  Double rats!  Local Republicans are taking all the stinkin' fun out of whipping their butts. Damn fools are committing suicide.

Fort Bend County Republican Party officials have failed to comply with federal and state laws and “triggered significant liabilities” for the party, a GOP Executive Committee member says.

Attorney and Precinct Chairman David Stone sent an email within the past few days to county GOP Chairman Gary Gillen, Treasurer Richard McCarter and General Counsel Farha Ahmed, in which he details instances where he says party officials failed to comply with election law.

Gillen discounted information in the email on Tuesday, adding, “We don’t think Mr. Stone has his facts together.”

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November 6 - We get email from foreign states.

November 6 - Alfredo sends us a heads-up on GOP dirty tricks.
     Cause: Karl Rove protégé, Scott Jennings, resigns from White House to return to Kentucky politics.
     Effect: Slime ensues.

Someone in Kentucky has resorted to an almost certainly illegal campaign tactic in today's election for governor. A new robocall has gone out purporting to be from Fairness.org — the Web site of the Fairness Campaign, an actual gay rights organization in Kentucky — speaking with pride about the strong support of "the homosexual lobby" for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Steve Beshear.

"Beshear is receiving major support from out-of-state gay activists and has publicly committed to same-gender relationships," the man on the call says.

The Fairness Campaign has denied any part in the calls, and is urging people who have received the calls to report it to the authorities.

Maybe folks should call Scott Jennings at Peritus Public Relations - (506) 618-5885 - and ask him if he's responsible for this blatantly illegal robocall campaign.

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November 6 - This is kinda cool.  Both Nick Lampson and Ted Poe made the same newspaper column, but not in relation to each other.  For you folks from foreign states, Poe became the recipient of Tom DeLay's redistricting gifts when he beat Lampson in the gerrymandered district.
     Lampson gets mentioned when Sailor Boy made a stink over Lampson taking money from a guy who's under investigation.  Lampson had given it back a week before, but Sailor Boy, as we all know, lives in the past. 
     Poe gets mentioned over his FEC fine for refusing to tell people where he got over a half a million bucks in his campaign account. 

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November 6 - Okay, so here's how this deal works.
     A grand jury in Florida issued a report said to be critical of political fundraising conducted at the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority.

An Orange County grand jury issued the report last month, after an investigation by Orange-Osceola State Attorney Lawson Lamar's office of allegations that toll-agency consultants were pressured to make campaign contributions.

The grand jury did not issue indictments, but Lamar said he hoped the report "will get some sort of an ethical ball rolling" to monitor the relationship between donors and those who vote on their projects.

     Grand jury reports are meant to be public but someone has objected to its release.  And who that might be?  Oh, I dunno, you guess...

Among those named in the report are Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty, expressway-authority director Mike Snyder and PBS&J of Tampa, the agency's general engineering consultant. It's not clear who else is named, but at least one person has filed an objection.

     And it's business as usual with PBS&J here in Fort Bend County.

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November 5 - BREAKING.  Tom DeLay's good friend and contribution crony, Brent Wilkes just got a jury verdict:

A U.S. District Court jury has convicted Brent Wilkes on all 13 counts in his corruption trial. The Poway defense contractor had been accused by prosecutors of leveraging more than $600,000 in cash bribes and thousands more in gifts to ousted Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham in exchange for Cunningham's influence in securing more than $80 million in government contracts.

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November 5 - In what probably isn't all that great an idea, Pat Boone (Yes, that Pat Boone) is making robo-calls in the Governor's race in Kentucky.
     Boone is for the Republican.  Why?  Because homosexuals are are the verge of taking over Kentucky.  You probably didn't know that, did you?

The state GOP is now sending a robo-call throughout the state featuring none other than Pat Boone, warning that as a Christian he is concerned that Democratic nominee Steve Beshear, who has been way ahead in the polls, will work for "every homosexual cause."

"Now do you want a governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?" Boone asks. "Please re-elect Ernie Fletcher."

  

     Okay, so maybe it's just me, but I think a guy who poses for album covers like this might want to keep his mouth shut on the subject of San Francisco.

     And in a preview of what's coming in the next election, Republicans have gotten waaaay too cute with their hate.  In that same race, the Lt. Gov. candidate was making a speech about his Democratic opponents, both of whom are heterosexuals, did his damnest to make America mean as hell to Americans.

Then, last night, Fletcher’s lieutenant governor candidate Robbie Rudolph echoed that to a crowd of more than 200 GOP faithful in Lexington. “Do you want a couple of San Francisco treats or do you want a governor?” he asked.

     And to make it even more surreal, Fletcher is campaigning with Sen. Mitch McConnell.  So no wonder gayness came up.

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November 4 - Tom DeLay is talking trash, which is an amazing view of reality considering his pay-per-barf website and his book nobody bought or read, including Tom himself.
    Now he's saying he wants to "mix it up" with the Democrats.

It is not the first time that Mr DeLay has tried to re-shape the political landscape. As well as enforcing party discipline on Capitol Hill, he was also one of the forces behind the highly successful 'K Street Project' to place Republicans in senior positions in the powerful lobbying industry (which is traditionally located around that Washington address).

He is looking forward to the new battle. "We need to get in there and mix it up with them," he said.

"That's what I'm all about."

     Uh, Tom, last time you did that, it backfired and a retired lady got hurt. 
     But if Tom insists on sending this guy out to beat up Grandmas, then more power to him, because Democratic Grandmas can take it because we've got something to fight for, Honey.
     Yeah, yeah, pictured to the left is one of Tom's big supporters who goes by the name Ken Dexter.  Dexter's idea of a good time is to get all dressed up in his formal tee-shirt and go to other people's events to shove grandmothers and endanger small children. 
     So, Tom, if any of your guys want to "mix it up" with a couple of grandmas and a few little kids, we're ready for them this time. 
     I've already organized for your next "mix it up," Tom.  I'm not telling you what we have planned, but it involves a Sunbeam Mixmaster, a garter belt, three 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke, and Thelma's collection of Liberace records.  It won't be pretty, that's for sure.

 

 

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November 3 - Oh dear, I guess word has gotten around about Governor Perry and Rudy ---

     Thank you, Ben Sargent.
     I suspect that the Republicans are delusional if they think that America will elect another low-performing, IQ deficient, swaggering cowboy from Texas.

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November 2 - This morning all charges against the seven men maliciously originally prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mike Elliott were dismissed for lack of evidence. 
     This case has been in the news since last September and I'll be commenting more about it this month.  However, right here and right now I just want to say that Mike Elliott, Greg Gilleland (aka Wichita Lineman), and Billye Bridges can Kiss My Big Accurate Butt.
    ADA Mike Elliott was reprimanded, but he refuses to apologize for the two years of hell and expenses he put these men through. 
     If only District Attorney John Healey had the guts to fire him.
     More to come .... I promise. 

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November 2 - Just when you begin to think that the Republicans can't sink much lower, along comes a reminder that disgusting has no bottom. 

The chief of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and her predecessor have taken dozens of trips at the expense of the toy, appliance and children's furniture industries and others they regulate, according to internal records obtained by The Washington Post. Some of the trips were sponsored by lobbying groups and lawyers representing the makers of products linked to consumer hazards.

     Well hell, what was I thinking.  If we can't trust them with with our money, how could be possibly trust them with our children?

The airfares, hotels and meals totaled nearly $60,000, and the destinations included China, Spain, San Francisco, New Orleans and a golf resort on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

     There's a real special place in hell reserved for people who would trade a child's safety for a golf outing.  It's called "Right Next To Tom DeLay."

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November 2 - Spinning on another teeter-totter this morning.

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November 2 - A couple of tidbits this morning:
     John emailed me to let me know that his ethically-deprived county commissioners can beat up my ethically- deprived county commissioners.  He might be right, although his commissioners have far more class than mine.  His spend their campaign money on coffee and golf.  Mine spend theirs on rodeo tickets, chain restaurants and floozy women.  Okay, so I made up the floozy women part, at least I think I did.
     And although I've never been the subject of retribution from the folks I wrote about over the years (mainly because I have a shotgun and I don't suffer fools gladly), maybe I was lucky.  This is an awful big coincidence. 
     And, to be filed under Whaaaaaaat?, Florida Congressman Tom Feeney (R, of course) is under Justice Department investigation for his little jaunt to Scotland with Jack Abramoff.  Feeney started a legal defense fund to cover his legal fees.  Only one Member of Congress contributed to Feeney's legal defense fund in the third quarter. Another member of the Florida congressional delegation? No, sireee - Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX) who gave the largest single contribution ($5,000) to the fund through his leadership PAC, the Longhorn PAC.  Smith's single contribution amounted to nearly half of the $12,600 Feeney's legal defense fund took in during the third quarter. 
     And, last, our friend Sam says we need to read the Houston Press about his friend Suzy on the school board in Pearland.  You'll learn what a "Pastord" is and find many uses for that word in the upcoming political season.

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November 1 - You know, sometimes people in my community seem to go out of their way to embarrass me.
     Take, for example, a full-page ad in today's Houston Chronicle in support of Fort Bend school bonds.  (Click the little one to get the big one.)

     Okay, first off, do you think they could have found any more old white guys?  I mean, what the heck did they do - raid a Viagra clinic?  And why is there a blanket on top of the domino table?  Are they hiding a stripper under the table or something?  And if they are, could any of these guys remember what to do with her?
     A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and a woman has to do the rest.
     This county is 48% minority and 51% female.  You wouldn't know that unless I told you, huh? 
     Now, I know it looks really bad that the headline on the ad says, "We will vote YES for the FBISD Bonds!  Because it protects OUR property values."  Well, it's too late for school bonds to teach these guys proper grammar, but you'd think they'd have a larger interest in educating kids than simply their own wallets.  And if you think that, you don't know these guys.
     From left to right:  Don Russell is a developer, Herb Appel is a failed businessman who now runs the Economic Development Council, John Null is former President of the Chamber of Commerce, James Patterson is a county commissioner, Charlie Howard is a developer and a State Rep, and Bill Jameson's engineering company gets county contracts.  Honey, these guys don't need dominoes; they need back-scratchers!
     There's this:  look, nobody needs a proofreader more than I do, but to have a former high school principal have a comma attack in a full-page ad for school bonds is kinda  ... well, dangit, dumb.

     And they could only get 55 other people to sign the ad with them - two of those are soundly defeated politicians, and at least a couple other signers stand to make major dollars off these bonds.  At least one of the signers doesn't even live in the school district.   
     I know these old, old, really old white guys took out this full page ad simply because their largest body part is their egos, but do they always have to embarrass us?  I mean, is it in their contract or something? 

 

My name is Susan DuQuesnay Bankston.
I live in Richmond, Texas, in heart of Tom DeLay's old district.  It's crazy here.  No, seriously, it's triple z crazzzy.

I used to be an independent voter, but that all changed when I got to know a few local Republicans.  They are meaner than 10 acres of snakes and have the ethical compass of a bank robber. 

So, I decided that they could just Kiss My Big Blue Butt.

A lot of what I post here has to do with local politics, but you probably have the same folks in your local government.

This ain't a blog.  Blogs are way too trendy for me.  I've been doing this since 1992, so I'm used to it even if you ain't. 

Email me and I'll find a place to put it if I like it.